Led By Zeppelin

Well there is less than a week to go before the Led By Zeppelin reunion, rehearsals have gone well.

There will be a full report after the gig, but in the meantime, here are some reminders of what to expect

Scandal

Well it's been a while since I updated this blog, and since August I have joined Kent rockers Scandal, replacing and stepping into the shoes of Tick Brown....it's been quite a challenge (which I have risen to) and expanded my catalogue of material know to include The Darkness et al.

Keep an eye on our website for upcoming gig dates

Rival Sons - Pressure and Time

It's been a long time since a new band has come that has excited me but Rival Sons have picked up on something which has been missing for a while. They have swagger, riffs and soul. As a friend of mine said, they aren't afraid to show their influences and if you're looking for a band with that 70's feel then you won’t go far wrong.

This is their third release and from start to finish Pressure and Time blasts away like a long lost or unreleased classic rock masterpiece. The guitar tone of Scott Holiday is huge, tipping quite a nod to Jimmy Page; tone that many of us spend a long time searching for. The vocals of Jay Buchanan’s are raw, powerful and very similar to a young Robert Plant on Led Zeppelin's debut. The drums have quite a John Bonham sound and feel to them, especially on the title track Pressure and Time....

But it's not just a Zeppelin sounding album. This is not another 'Kingdom Come' rip off. This is something with feel and groove, something which is very needed in the UK right now to freshen everything up and through out the album other influences such as The Who and The Doors can be picked up on…..check out the video to Pressure and Time..

Black Country Communion 2

It's been a while since I updated this blog and there have been a few important releases since the spring.

I'll start with with the 'Black Country Communion' boys who are back with their 2nd album simply entitled '2'. If you liked the first album, then you should love this. From the Purple-esque riff of 'The Outsider', The Zep tinged 'Save Me', the blues soaked 'Little Secret' to the albums end of 'Cold' there really isn't a bad track on this.

Jason Bonham's drumming is purely, well, very 'Bonham' (fellow Zeppelin fans will understand what I mean) whilst Joe Bonamassa's playing once again pushes the boundaries.

Watch out for them in the UK this summer, meanwhile check out the video for their latest single Man In The Middle

RIP Gary Moore

It's been a few months since I've updated this, and its with the sadness that I update it following on from the announcement of the death of Gary Moore at 58 years of age. One of the greatest British blues rock players, his 'Still Got the Blues' album was a big influence on me when learning to play. Alongside Zeppelin, Cream and Hendrix it was a solid foundation to build upon.

He was also a member of Thin Lizzy, and vastly underrated esp by the British press.........Still Got The Blues

Joe Bonamassa at the Leas Cliff Hall, Black Country Communion

Had the pleasure of bumping into Joe Bonamasa near his hotel in Folkestone last night, before his sell out show at the Leas Cliff Hall. There wasn't time for a chat or photo, but as he walked towards me I said 'Joe - have a great gig man'...to my surprise he stopped, stuck out his hand to shake mine and said 'hey - thanks man' with a smile...a very approachable, friendly and down to earth type of guy...

As for the show, well 2 hours of blues rock that was absolutely immense....he opened with Rory Gallaghers 'Cradle rock' before going into So Many Roads. All the expected tracks were played including Heartaches and Nickels, Sloe Gin etc. He also covered The Who's 'Young Boy Blues', as well as his usual cover of 'Just Got Paid' by ZZ Top, which featured a 'Dazed and Confused' segment. The theremin was used during 'Ballad of John Henry'. I was surprised that not many tracks from Black Rock were played, more from 'Ballad of John Henry' etc.

The Black Country Communion project he is part of with Glenn Hughes and Jason Bonham, is also something well worth a listen to. More hard rock than blues, the influences of Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin are easily in evidence - but why not. Stand out track for me is 'Song of Yesterday'. Well worth a listen, it's thought that they are touring next year - on the evidence of the album and last nights performance, I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for tickets.

John Bonham 30 Years Gone

John Bonham died 30 years ago today. Although I wasn't old enough at the time to know who he was, and although I am not a drummer, his epic thunderous drumming in Led Zeppelin has been a major factor in my choice of a 'favourite band', a band of which I have been part of a tribute too for a long time. When I have stood on stage and played those songs, you can only imagine what is was really like to have heard those songs played by the band themselves. So many people have come to our shows who originally saw Led Zep in their prime, and when you talk to them, Bonham's drumming is always at the top of the list of their memories.

His performances have been sampled so many times over, and he is still a massive influence on drummers today. You can read further tributes on the 'Tight But Loose' website here

John Henry Bonham
RIP - from all at Led By Zeppelin